October 21, 2005

Sherlock, Byron and Madonna

Here's a list of things to watch over the weekend, compiled by Sid Smith and me:

"Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking," 8
p.m. Sunday, WTTW-Ch. 11: Three entries in this weekend TV list should
have at least some appeal for viewers who have no interest in the World
Series games over the weekend. In this new Masterpiece Theatre film, a
killer is stalking women who happen to be young and beautiful -- it
sounds like a case for, well, any of the dozens of crime fighters all
over the TV dial these days. Actually, despite the plot's similarity to
an episode of "Criminal Minds" (and the fact that this new tale doesn't
appear in the Holmes canon penned by Arthur Conan Doyle), this two-hour
Masterpiece Theatre offering is well worth a look, mainly for Rupert
Everett's crafty portrayal of Sherlock Holmes. The London streets and
houses depicted in this handsome production are atmospheric as well
(though we could have done with a tad less fog), and Ian Hart makes an
engaging Dr. Watson. The tall, sharp-nosed Everett is actually a dead
ringer for the incisive detective that Conan Doyle described in his
Holmes texts. Let's hope Everett returns for additional Holmes
adaptations, if they're as polished and fast-moving as this one (it'd
be terrific to see him take on "The Sign of the Four" or another
classic Conan Doyle story).

"Byron," 8 p.m. Saturday, BBC
America: Another option for those who can live without seeing the White
Sox play is this view of the life of the great Romantic poet -- and
prototype for the 20th Century bad-boy rocker -- which not surprisingly
leans on his salacious sex life, which involved multiple partners and
incest with his half-sister. Though plodding in its parade of
biographical events, and sadly limited in recitations of his luminous
poetry, "Byron," like just about any look at this compelling,
self-absorbed figure, proves riveting. Jonny Lee Miller (Sick Boy in
"Trainspotting") portrays Byron as a complex blend of gentle elegance,
childlike ego, madness and charm, and is well-matched by Annabella
Milbanke as Bryon's prudish wife, Camilla Power as a wacko, willful
Lady Caroline Lamb and Vanessa Redgrave as Byron's venerable and sturdy
confidante, Lady Melbourne.

"E! True Hollywood Story: The Women
of Desperate Housewives," 7 p.m. Friday, E!: If you've already read Us,
In Touch, People and Star and still need a fix of celebrity escapism,
this two-hour Wisteria Lane fest is just the ticket. Yes, they need two
hours to cover all the wives (Eva Longoria's love life probably
occupies at least an hour of it).

"I'm Going to Tell You a
Secret," 9 p.m. Friday, MTV: As Madonna gears up to promote her new
album, "Confessions on a Dance Floor," MTV unveils this two-hour
documentary about the singer's recent Re-Invention Tour, a backstage
chronicle complete with auditions for dancers, scenes from the tour and
snippets from Madonna's family life.

"Monsterfest," weeklong
film festival begins 10:30 a.m. Sunday, AMC: The movie channel begins
its annual festival of horror and gore; the nine days of pre-Halloween
scaremongering starts with "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein" on Sunday
morning. The complete schedule of frightful fare (including flicks such
as "Carrie," "Friday the 13th," "Tremors" and "An American Werewolf in
London") is online here (where
you can also play Whack-A-Wolf).

"Prison Break" marathon, 11
a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, FX: After a break of several weeks for baseball
playoffs, "Prison Break" finally returns with new episodes on Monday.
To get everyone caught up on the show, FX is running all seven episodes
of this jailhouse thriller, which has occasional slow patches and some
implausible moments, but, for the most part, provides a steady stream
of engrossing thrills and adventure. Check out the last two episodes in
the FX marathon, at the very least; the two-hour prison riot is an
enthralling burst of chaos behind bars.

"My First Place," 8
p.m. Saturday, HGTV: In this amiable new home-decorating show (yet
another option for those who won't be tuning into the World Series),
young people with the first real pads of their own get help from a
professional designer, who gives them advice on how to make one room in
the new house into welcoming space. In the first episode, the young
married couple makes over the guy's bachelor pad leftovers
(black-lacquer shelves, yech), contribute some new and old pieces of
their own and get $3,000 worth of goodies, plus design tips from a
cheerful and instructive decorating pro.

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